1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle and, more particularly, to a vehicle equipped with an electrical storage device and a drive rotary electric machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various vehicles-equipped with an electrical storage device and a drive rotary electric machine have been suggested. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-262357 (JP-A-2004-262357) describes an electric vehicle that is equipped with a changeable portion, battery modules, and a fixed battery. The changeable portion is provided at the rearmost space of the electric vehicle. The battery modules are accommodated in the changeable portion. The fixed battery is fixed to a floor, or the like. Then, the battery modules accommodated in the changeable portion are arranged at intervals in the width direction of the vehicle, and may be detached or added depending on a travel distance that differs among users.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-1655 (JP-A-2005-1655) describes a high-voltage electrical component casing arrangement structure that includes a high-voltage electrical component casing and a battery. The high-voltage electrical component casing is arranged on the floor of a vehicle body and is arranged between a driver seat and a front passenger seat. The battery is accommodated in the high-voltage electrical component casing.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-311139 (JP-A-2004-311139) describes a battery pack that includes a battery portion and an accessory portion. The accessory portion includes a cooling fan and a battery electronic control unit (ECU). The battery pack is mounted on a floor panel under a rear seat so that the center of the battery portion coincides with the center of a vehicle in the width direction.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-57711 describes an electric vehicle equipped with a detachable cassette battery. Then, fully charged batteries are stored at an energy supply station, and, when the electric vehicle stops by at the energy supply station, all the batteries mounted on the electric vehicle are detached. After that, the detached batteries are replaced with the fully charged batteries and stored at the station.
However, in the electric vehicle described in JP-A-2004-262357, the plurality of battery modules are arranged in the width direction of the vehicle. Therefore, there is a problem that, for example, if a portion of the battery modules at an end is detached, the weight balance of the vehicle is lost.
In the high-voltage electrical component casing arrangement structure described in JP-A-2005-1655, the battery is not detachable and, therefore, the capacity of the battery is not adjustable in response to a user's request. Similarly, the battery pack described in JP-A-2004-311139 is also not detachable and, therefore, the capacity of the battery is not changeable in response to a user's request.
In the electric vehicle described in JP-A-2001-57711, the detachable cassette battery is not directed to changing the capacity of the battery in response to a user's request, and the capacity of the battery is constant.